Little One
by Bigrig03
Summary: When Eragon fails to defeat Galbatorix and Saphira dies he finds himself transported 100 years in the past. Follow Eragon on his adventure to reunite himself with his partner of heart and mind.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

 _Ready your self._ Murtagh mouthed.

Eragon hesitated, not sure what to expect; than he nodded and warned Arya, Saphira, Glaedr and the other Eldunari.

Then Murtagh pushed Eragon aside, and he rose up on his knees, still clutching his belly. He looked at Galbatorix. And he shouted the Word.

Murtagh continued to chant but was too fast for Eragon to gauge the purpose of the spell. Saphira and Thorn launched themselves at Shurikan and Arya followed with the Dauthedart.

A frenzy ensued where Eragon and Murtagh battled Galbatorix but couldn't overpower him in their injured states. Eragon was only just aware of the fight between Shurikan, Arya and the two smaller dragons.

In his deep booming voice, Galbatorix screamed "Enough". His rage and madness finally revealing itself. His eyes filled with the want to murder each and every one of us. "Thrysta" he shouted and pushed Murtagh and Eragon back.

After being knocked back Eragon saw through Saphira's eyes that Arya had thrown the Dauthëdart. It seemed to travel in slow motion and it seems Galbatorix saw it aswell. Fear shown on his features that Eragon didn't know he had. He shouted something unaudible but Eragon knew it's purpose. He felt Saphira fly through the air. Her roar resounding through the giant room.

Eragon's heart dropped and he knew what was coming. He screamed out her name and all she managed was, _Little one_. The Dauthëdart sliced through one of her blue eyes and in an instant Eragon's brain snapped. He screamed, and it was a terrible scream. It was so full of loss and pain and pure rage. Tears blurred Eragon's rage but he wouldn't let it deter him.

Running full pace, Eragon aimed to swipe Galbatorix's head off. He swatted it away easily. "I'm sorry", Galbatorix said. It reminded him too much of Jarnuvosk, and he hadn't intended to kill Saphira, but rather Thorn, he needed her to rebuild his riders.

"You killed her", Eragon screamed, tears roiling down his face; the face contorted in pain and rage. Half of him was missing and he wanted her back more than anything. He NEEDS to get back to her. Eragon reached into his magic, without thinking spoke, he in the ancient language. "Take me to Saphira". A blinding white light surrounded Eragon and he felt himself compress and expand at the same time. It flickered once and Eragon saw her great blue body, the most magnificent thing he had ever seen. And the last.

Eragon woke gasping for air. He felt like it had been a hundred years since he breathed. Looking above him Eragon saw her giant blue body in the sky, bringing him back to his dream. _Saphira!_ he screamed with his mind. He reached with his mind but couldn't touch it, she was blocking him from her thoughts. He was confused and he didn't feel right. Usually he could at least sense her but she wasn't there, Eragon felt just empty, a half of what he is.

 **Saphira's POV**

 _Saphira!_. A shout vibrated through her mind, perhaps it was her rider. Her partner of heart and mind had made camp while she was hunting. But he wasn't hers. It seemed similar but alien. She looked down and saw a two-legs below her. He tried to touch her mind but she blocked him. She tucked her wings into a dive and made her way down towards the human. Perhaps her partner had sent him, perhaps he's injured. Landing in front of him Saphira lowered her bonds and touched his mind.

The man face seemed pleased to see her until she touched his mind. Now he just looked confused and a little worried. "your'e not Saphira". Now it was her turn to be confused, of course she was Saphira. She chose the name did she not.

 _Of course I am. Now did my rider send you? is he close?. Is Brom injured?_

The man whispered Brom's name, as if it was the name of a shade. The man just stood still, then he fainted. Before he fainted his emotions seemed to leech across to hers through the mental connection she establsihed. He was scared, angry. He longed for something, that was defintiely obvious but above all else; he was insane.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Eragon strained against the bonds holding him. He'd just woken up and needed to get out of these bonds. If what he suspected was true, than he needed to talk to his father and find Saphira's egg.

It was night and he could see the outlines of several dragons and a similar number of people sleeping. The blue dragon he suspected to be the first Saphira had woke up and growled, not threatningly but warily, he'd heard it from Saphira several times. Saphira. The lack of her existence persisted to overwhelm him but he knew that he could find her.

Saphira nudged Brom and he sat up and groaned. He approached Eragon slowly, studying him. The man didn't seem to be surprised to see his mixed human and elven features but he it still made him wary, like his dragon. "What is your name boy? You are a rider and yet I've never seen you before. And where is your dragon?" He growled.

Eragon never thought he'd hear that voice again, let alone see him in the flesh, alive. Eragon stared at Brom. He was obviously younger, he seemed to be about twenty in age. "My dragon is dead" Eragon whispered softly.

Brom's face softened, and he understood Eragon's pain. He didn't know the pain, but he could very well imagine it. Eragon would use that to his advantage. "please let me go, I need to find her. I need to find her body". Eragon said it in the Ancient language so Brom knew he was telling the truth, just not the whole truth. Brom's Saphira whined, she now knew why the boy was insane.

"You still haven't answered my first question rider" Brom said in a more softer tone, almost apologetic.

"Eragon, I am Eragon Shadeslayer", Eragon stated.

The name shocked Brom. He didn't know what to do.

"Slytha" Brom said. Eragon's body slumped and he was asleep.

 **Brom's POV**

"We don't know what he can do" Morzan said with exasperation.

"He bears the riders mark, he's one of us and his dragon just died." Brom retorted.

"That's exactly what I'm saying he's dangerous and probably not right in the head anymore, imagine if Saphira died, I know I'd go insane if the same happened to me." Morzan explained.

"We should try, and if we can't help him we deliver the egg and take him to Vrael, he'll recognise him."

Morzan sighed, "Ok" and in a threatning tone he added "but if he shows any sign of endangering anyone in our group then I'll lop his head off without a second thought."

Brom nodded in agreement and he felt Saphira's acknowledgement that she also agreed. Everyone else in their group was beginning to rise and Brom decided that this "shadeslayer" should wake aswell.

After rousing the boy and getting him breakfast Morzan and Brom decided to question him some more. "What is your dragon's name" Brom asked.

"The same as yours" he replied in a bland tone, devoid of any sort of happiness. This perplexed Brom, rarely is it that dragons have the same name. Over the years names have been re-used but usually when that dragon is dead and they wish to honour them.

"Saphira is her name?" Brom inquired.

"Aye, nearly the same colour as well. She is nothing compared to my Saphira" he jerked his head towards Saphira while speaking with loss tainting his voice. A warning growl escape Saphira's maw telling Eragon to tread carefully. "Just as vain I see aswell" he said with a faint smiling touching his lips.

Brom didn't get angry from that as he usually would, he understood how hard it must be for him. But he wouldn't allow this elfling, if he could be called that, insult his dragon. Grabbing him by the shirt Brom pulled him in close and growled "alright elf, I understand you lost your dragon, but dont insult mine. Else I'll beat you black and blue and make sure it's a week before you can see again". Gratidude leeched through his connection with Saphira for defending her, and he returned that with his love for her, she was the only one who could truly understand him.

Returning his gaze back to Eragon he found the elf cackling. The elf responded by saying "I hope you realise that I can kill you with a word, actually I don't think I'd have to waste the energy of speaking. Everyone in this glade could be dead if I wanted it."

The statement shocked him but he wasn't worried. He had his wards and Brom, although he may be a bit rash was confident in his chances against the elf. He was just confused about Eragon not needing to 'waste the energy of speaking'.

 **Eragon's POV**

Eragon could see the confusion mounting on Brom's face.

"Well why haven't you?" replied a voice that was deep, a voice you could get lost in, and the voice of the monster that killed Saphira.

Pure rage seethed through Eragon's body. He clenched his fists, his veins pulling away, trying to pop out of his arm. Neither Brom nor Galbatorix notcied however for they were greeting each other.

"I think it's time you should leave Brom, you and Morzan need to deliver that egg. The rest of us are going to camp here another night and celebrate on becoming riders." Galbatorix said.

Brom nodded his agreement asked "Is it ok if I leave him here?" jerking his head towards Eragon. "I'd take him but I think it's safer if he stays with you simply because there's more of you and then there's no chance he can harm the egg" Brom continued.

"Yes that's fine, we recovered his sword by the way. It was found near where Saphira said she saw him, he wasn't lying about his dragon, exact same colour as her".

Eragon bided his time. He watched the events of the day go by, Brom and Morzan leaving on their red and blue dragons. Everyone in the camp just so happy to be there. Getting to just be in the prescense of their dragons; they knew not how to appreciate their bond. They knew not that the one they all seemed to listen to would kill off their entire order. Eragon guessed it was during their stay here that the urgals would attack and kill them. They would feel pain like he had, but they wouldn't understand. They wouldn't understand the hate of living, every second a pain, every moment wishing to just be enveloped by the mind of his love Saphira, the one true constant over the past two years. Now, she's gone and the only way he'll get her back is by finding her egg and how would he do it, there would be hundreds of eggs to search.

Eragon spent the day in self pity, wallowing. But when night had fallen he'd finally pour his rage into the one that killed his partner of mind and heart.

Everyone was asleep bar Galbatorix who was on guard, at least they weren't stupid being in Urgal territory. Eragon decided to just think they Ancient language rather than saying it. Silently Eragon broke his bonds and made a barrier where no sound could escape it, but could still come in. He walked up to Galbatorix and grabbed his shoulder. The man turned around and Eragon broke his nose with his fist. He sensed the mad kings dragon rising preparing to roar and he said one of the twelve death words, pinching a major arterie in the dragons brain. Causing it to have a seizure and die. Eragon then expanded his barrier to encompass Galbatorix aswell as the man screamed in agony at the loss of his dragon. Half his soul just died and Eragon may have been empathetic had the man not murdered his dragon.

Tears streamed down the mans face and mixed with his blood. "why!?" the man moaned. "I've never done anything to you, I'll fucking kill you. My brain feels like it's about to explode. I swea-"

Eragon cut him off by saying "because you killed my Saphira. You haven't done it yet, now you never will. I'm from a time where dragons no longer fly the earth, elves are hidden and Alagaësia is run by a tyrant king. That king is you, you fucking monster. You killed all the dragons, leaving only your twisted bond with a dragon that isn't yours and three eggs. You deserve this, so save your bullshit."

Eragon then grabbed the man by the throat and started to choke him. He enjoyed this, he truly enjoyed this. Every now and then he'd allow Galbatorix a few breaths and then continue. Making it so much more painful for him. Finally Galbatorix no longer breathed and Eragon walked into the wilderness not caring what happened to him. He left and he heard the battle between the dragon riders and the urgals. The urgals caught them off guard since their guard was dead and Eragon heard the urgals triumph from a distance, cheering at the glory they won by killing dragons and their riders.

It was with this that Eragon traversed the Spine. Killing everything that attacked him. Many urgals roared their challenge, many wolves mistaked him for prey, many deer tried to flee the new predator. None suceeded in their plight. As time passed Eragon saw less and less of other living things. He'd walked through an urgal village and saw none of the Urgralgra, he felt their prescence but felt no need to kill them. Eragon thought of little but Saphira. It was like he was stuck in a loop, reminiscing his time with his partner of heart and mind and hoping to find her egg in Illirea.

He slept little, every night his mind cast back to the siege of Urabaen, to the Dauthedart spinning over and over towards Shurikan, to be saved by the man he strangled to death. Seeing Saphira's limp body was the worst thing to happen to him. He hated it. He hated it so much not having her. Everthing about himself got worse without her. His magical ability got worse, like a small hole was in the barrier between himself and his magic and it was seeping out, ever so slowly emptying.

Eventually he left the Spine and reached Woadark lake where he chanced upon a group of riders. He changed his appearance to be that of Galbatorix's and begged them to take him to the council. They brought him to the capital of Alagaësia, where he might stand trial before the council of elders, the most skilled and oldest of the riders.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Eragon stood in a massive chamber that was large enough to account for all 13 of the council and their dragons. Vrael, the leader of the riders sat in the centre, Umaroth sat behind him. To his left sat Oromis staring down at Eragon, who had taken upon the guise of Galbatorix, with indiffirence. Glaedr sat behind him, several metres smaller than last time but still larger than the average dragon and this time still had all four legs. To his left sat a human rider with a great scar slashed down his eye. Eragon recognised him but could not remember his name, Oromis's teachings of history had left him and he cared little for who he was.

"It has been many years since this incident Galbatorix, we assumed you were dead. Why did you not seek us out sooner?" Vrael questioned.

Eragon replied with "I lost my dragon Ebrithil, for a time I was insane. My brain had broke, even now the stitches that hold it together feel like the slightest attack could rebreak me."

"And what do you suggest we do about it?" Vrael asked, with a hint of caution touching his voice.

"If I am to truly recover I ask that you grant me another dragon, let me find another dragon that will choose me. I need this Vrael, I beg of you" Eragon said, his voice becoming raspy. He could feel a lump developing in his throat and his stomach was churning because he knew what was about to happen.

Oromis was the first of the other twelve elders to speak. "No one has ever had two dragons before, we don't even know if it's possible but even if it were I think it unwise to grant you another dragon."

Falling to his knees Eragon moaned "Noo! You can't do this".

Continuing Oromis said "Even from this distance I can see what your hands tell. You have killed and murdered without second though, you haven't cared if anyone wanted to harm you just whether or not they were in front of you. You've become a monster, No dragon would choose you."

Those words jolted through Eragon. This man knew not what he was talking about but he couldn't tell them because they wouldn't understand. _AArgghhh they don't understand that they'll all be dead if they follow through with this._

Eragon looked up with tears streaming his face and found everyone staring at him with wide eyes. Glaedr bared his teeth and said _you dare to threaten us child. I was old before you were born and I or any one else in this room could kill you where you stand._

Eragon realised his mistake and bolted for the door. Shouts and footsteps chased after him. As Eragon ran he chanted a spell as fast as he could and with a flash of light his body was thrown into a wall.

A deep voice followed his entrance. "Is that you Galbatorix?"

Eragon turned to be in front of a man despised by so many in his time. Morzan stood in front of him with two different coloured eyes.

It took a lot of convincing to get Morzan to help, eventually Eragon convinced him to believe the dragonless rider they found the day he had killed the real Galbatorix had infiltrated the council, soon Eragon would have to break his mind to make sure he keeps following orders. This made Eragon realise he didn't know his true name anymore. He knew it most of it would be about his loss for Saphira, but he would make sure he figured out what it is.

Everything had gone smoothly, Morzan had killed the rider on patrol and they had entered the room where they kept the eggs. Eragon shot tendrils of his mind trying to locate his love's mind. There were several eggs of her colour but only one of them felt familiar. He approached the egg and felt a rush of de ja vu. A perfectly oval blue stone sat in front of him. He picked it up and inspected the white veins enveloping the egg. A single tear rolled down his face. Her mind felt like pure Europhia and all he could manage was a whisper "Saphira". Eragon's mind search also had two other eggs catch his attention. One was blood red and the other midnight black. Eragon cast the same spell he had used to hold the eldunari but before he left he noticed there was only one green egg in the whole room. He decided to take it with him.

Eragon waited many months for Saphira to hatch but she wouldn't budge. He spoke to her about everything, he toldher about the adventures they had had, how much he loved her and how happy he is that he found her. The riders were searching for him, but they wouldn't find him. Morzan had continued to accompany him and Eragon was surprised to chance across Durza. As much as he wanted to kill him Eragon could use him.

As time passed Eragon began to grow impatient that Saphira hadn't hatched. It had been a whole year and Eragon and Morzan had already captured several Elduanri. The night that changed everything that Eragon lost his temper. He started screaming about Saphira not hatching and shouted in the ancient language "why won't you just hatch".

Although he had said it in the Ancient Language Eragon was surprised to feel his energy lessen. Behind him Eragon heard what he thought was a twig snapping and he spun around. He found no one there but the eggs, one of which was rocking. In the dark he couldn't tell which but he whooped in joy because it had to be Saphira. Summoning a werelight Eragon inspected the hatching egg. Instead of finding a cracking blue egg he found a midnight black head pop out of an equally black egg. Eragon was too surprised to be disappointed, but he was also fearful.

He now knew what he was becoming and thought of a name that was different from the rest of the names he tried and failed to find that explained who he was. Once upon a time his name didn't speak of a great person, but neither did it speak of one who was terrible. He wasn't inherintly evil, but he had become a cruel human that should be feared.

Once more tears wet his face and when he looked down he found a pair of icy blue eyes approaching, wanting to comfort him. Dreading what was about to happen for he knew he could never be paired with Saphira he placed his hand on the dragon and felt icy tendrils of energy course through his veins. An innocent and yound mind touched his. Vastly similar to his first dragon and yet was still vastly more different.

Eragon loved Shurikan, how could he not? But it never replaced the pain and longing for Saphira. He knew this angered Shurikan and he got so jealous of her that he hated Eragon's beatiful blue dragon. Eragon understood Shurikan's hate but it made him angry with him. No one should despise his partner of heart and mind, he still couldn't call Shurikan that, Eragon doubted he ever will be able to. He felt sorry for Shurikan, it was never his plan for him to hatch but now that he had Eragon had devised a plan.

He wouldn't be able to be bonded to Saphira but he could have her close. Eragon then carried out every atrocity that Galbatorix had, his whole sanity only being kept together by Shurikan and his need to make sure everything was perfect.

Years passed and Eragon still persisted. He sought to claim control of all the Eldunari in his possesion and then he found a tablet that could help him immensley. The name of the Ancient language and only then did Eragon realise that was the word that the original Galbatorix had used.

Eragon had placed a spell on Saphira's egg that would alert him when it hatched. And once it did he immediately scryed her. He found himself staring at his new dragon with such curiosity. A pang of jealosy touched him. Why could he not be this Eragon, who would be able to live in comfort with Saphira as his bonded partner once he swore fealty to him. For Eragon would have what he wanted. Eragon no longer cared whether the dragons lived or died, so long as she did.

Eragon watched Saphira grow and mature and he hadn't felt such happiness in a long time. This angered Shurikan greatly and his already slightly crazed mind touched insanity. Eragon spent alot of time trying to soothe Shurikan. It worked to some degree but he was still so angry and just wanted to kill everything. Much like what Eragon once was and he began to wonder if Shurikan felt like he had lost Eragon like he did Saphira.

Now Eragon sat in his throne preparing a spell for the possibility that the younger Eragon would kill him.

Now Eragon had just watched his younger self and Murtagh fight and he had seen his half brother mouth 'ready yourself' to the younger Eragon. He knew what was to come.

Everything had followed exactly as planned, they had attacked, Eragon managed to keep it that no casualties occured and he had once again subdued the group.

What happened next surprised Eragon. His younger self had a buildup of emotion and Eragon could feel the energy that was swirling with it. Magic began to take its effect on him. Going through all his memories Eragon began to understand everything he'd ever done to anyone and everyone. How his every action had harmed people. He wanted to die, but he had a reason for it all! They don't understand that this was all for her, for a better future for if he had let Galbatorix live they would be far worse off. But the pain, it nearly rivaled that of losing Saphira.

Eragon knew he would die and so he chose that moment to smother Shurikan with all his love, he deserved it. He'd always been second best to a dragon that was both dead and hadn't been born yet. _Goodbye Shurikan, it is time that we should pass. Just know that I always loved you, and that you always will be my partner of heart and mind._ Shurikan just looked his way. His eyes softened, all they showed were love, love for his rider. Shurikan knew he would die, but he was ok with that. As long as it was with his partner of heart and mind than he didn't care, they were doing it together.

And so with the death of Shurikan Eragon knew it was time to die. He spoke two words in the Ancient language; " Be not".

Eragon heard not the explosion he knew would follow. He knew not what would happen next. He knew not where he was going. He couldn't even recall who he was but what he did know was that when he died he heard two words.

 _little one._


End file.
